Guard or fringe and package therefor



Aing, 8, 1939. R. c. SCOTT GUARD OR FRINGE AND PACKAGE THEREFOR Filed Ma 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EWMO/VD CLIFFORD Scorr BY kfimnzv Aug. 8, 1939. R. c. SCOTT GUARD OR FRINGE AND PACKAGE THEREFOR Filed May 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m R Y W W 0. m w w m A P. w

Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STAES HIE.

GUARD 0R FRINGE AND PACKAGE THEREFOR Application May 25, 1937, Serial No. 144,588

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a guard or fringe and package therefor and more particularly to a guard or fringe for use with fruit or vegetable baskets and to a package for shipping a plurality of such guards.

According to the present invention, the guard or fringe is formed from a strip of paperboard or like material and has an elongated body portion and a series of scallops or tabs extending from one longitudinal edge of the body. The body is provided with means for joining the ends and may have a slot formed in one end adapted to receive a barbed tongue forming an extension at the other end whereby the ends may be joined to form a ring capable of expansion and contraction. The guard is suitably scored or otherwise bent longitudinally, approximately at the juncture of the scallops and the body whereby the scallops extend in a plane angularly to the plane of the base. The guard may be used in packaging fruit without the necessity for bending down the scallops either manually or by apparatus particularly designed to perform such action.

The invention also provides a novel method of packaging a plurality of guards for storage or shipment and a convenient package constituted by such guards. A plurality of guard blanks are suitably formed and bent as above described and are superposed one upon the other to form a stack. A similar stack is formed from an approximately equal number of guard blanks and is inverted and disposed on the first stack so that the bodies of all of the guards are approximately superposed and the scallops of each stack are nested, those of each stack extending along a side of the other stack respectively. The two superposed stacks are then suitably secured together as by bindings and preferably suitable reinforcing, such as cleats, are secured to the assembled stacks. If desired, suitable wrappers may be assembled around the stacked blanks and/or the stacks and reinforcing members.

An object of the invention is the provision of a guard or fringe for protecting the top layer or layers of a fruit package and having a series of tabs which guard can be assembled with the package without the necessity for folding down the tabs either manually or with suitable mechahism.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a guard or fringe for fruit packages which can be. readily assembled with other similar guards to form a compact package in which the guards are protected against injury.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel package consisting of a plurality of guards or fringes for use in packing fruit, which package is easy to assemble, compact and rugged when assembled, fully protects the guards or fringes constituting the package, and is capable of convenient handling and shipping.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following particular description and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings.

Although the novel features which are believed I 5 to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of blank suitable for forming a guard or fringe in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blank of Fig.

1 after having been scored to bend the scallops or tabs at an angle to the body;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional 2 view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a basket of fruit assembled with a guard or fringe and illustrating the manner in which the same is used;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged and elevational view of two superposed stacks of guards or fringes and representing an intermediate stage in the assembling of a package;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a package formed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 7 is a similar view of a reinforced and stiffened package formed in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional View taken along line 8-8 of Fig. '7.

In the following description and in the claims, various details will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, certain specific disclosure of the invention is made for purposes of explanation, but it will be understood that the details may be modified in various respects without departure from the broad aspect of the invention.

Referring now particularly to the drawings, 5

the guard or fringe in accordance with the present invention may be formed from a blank of paperboard, fibreboard or other suitable sheet material of sufficient thickness and tensile strength to prevent tearing or destruction in the course of normal use. The material should be of sufficient rigidity to retain its shape and position in a package of fruit or vegetables and should be sufficiently strong and resilient to protect the contents against injury by reason of pressure or abrasion by the container or a cover associated therewith.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1, the blank I is formed as an elongated strip of paperboard or like material having an elongated, generally rectangular body portion 2 and a series of scallops or or tabs 3 extending from one longitudinal edge of the body portion. Preferably, the scallops or tabs 3 are formed of suitable shape so that they can be bent over to overlie and partially cover the top layer of fruit in the container. Preferably, the scallops or tabs are shaped to provide an attractive decorative effect which improves the appearance of the package. Various shapes of scallops or tabs may be employed, but for the purposes of illustration, substantially semi-circular tabs have been shown.

The blank I is provided with means for joining the ends whereby the blank can be set up to form a ring. Preferably, the body 2 is provided with a slit or slot 1 adjacent one end and with a tongue 4 extending from the other end. The tongue 4 preferably is formed with converging side edges 5 and terminates in a barbed head 6 having ears 8 and 9. The barbed head 6 is of slightly greater maximum width than the width of the slit 1, but is of such shape and size that it can be conveniently inserted in the slit '1 by a suitable manipulation. The slit 1 may be inclined or otherwise suitably shaped to permit the guard, when set up, to spread at its upper end.

The scallops or tabs 3 are bent about the body 2 until they lie in a plane which is inclined with respect to the plane of the body 2, and thus form, in effect, a flange extending from the body. Preferably, the scallops are bent out of the plane of the body 2 by an angle of approximately although in some cases the angle may be somewhat less. The scallops 3 preferably are bent by a combined scoring and bending operation in which a score line I0 is formed in the blank I approximately at the juncture of the body 2 and the scallops 3. The blank I is now ready for shipment or use.

The blank I is set up to form a guard or fringe 4 (see Fig. 4) by disposing the tongue 4 adjacent the slit I with the ends of the body at a substantial angle. One of the ears (for example the ear 8) of the head 6 is inserted in the slit 1 and the tongue 4 is rocked to cause the other ear (for example the ear 9) to enter the slit and thus lock the ends of the blank together.

The guard or fringe l4 thus formed can then be assembled with a basket, as by the use of suitable basket packing apparatus (not shown). The guard I4 is disposed in inverted position on a facing form (not shown) of any suitable form and assembled with a basket liner I! of any suitable construction. The contents |6 are then disposed in the packaging apparatus and the basket inserted with a column of fruit. Thereafter, the basket is turned over into upright position and removed from the packing apparatus and the package shown in Fig. 4 results.

Inasmuch as the scallops or tabs 3 are initially bent out of the plane of the body approximately in right angled relation, it is not necessary to bend in the scallops or tabs prior to the insertion of the packing apparatus. Furthermore, no special turn-in mechanism is required and any suitable type of packing apparatus, including any form of facing form, may be used, it being necessary only that the facing form shall not interfere with the scallops or tabs.

Where a cover (not shown) is to be assembled with the basket |5, it is secured thereto in the usual manner, the tabs 3 lying against the top layer of fruit and below the cover and protecting the layer against contact with the cover. The guard also insures against such injury to the fruit as might occur by contact with the rim or edge of the basket.

The guard or fringe formed in accordance with the prevent invention is particularly well adapted for assembly with other similar guards to form a convenient package for handling and shipping the guards.

Referring now to Fig. 5, a suitable number of blanks I are superposed to form a stack 20, the bodies 2 lying flat upon one another to form a flat stack 2| and the scallops 3 being nested to form an upstanding flange-like portion 22. The stack 20 may consist of any suitable number of blanks but I have found that from 75 to blanks form a convenient number.

An approximately equal number of blanks are arranged to form a similar stack 23, the bodies lying in a stack 24 and the scallops 3 forming a flange 25. The stack 23 is inverted and the portion 24 is disposed on the top 2| of the first stack to form a pile 26, the flange 25 extending along the opposite side of the pile from the upstanding flange 22. It will be seen that the flanges 22 and 25 can be bent into proximity with the body portions 24 and 2| respectively to form a compact. solid structure.

The superposed, inversely positioned stacks 20 and 23 forming the pile are secured together in a suitable manner, which will prevent displacement of any of the guards and which will also protect the guards against injury. For example, a suitable number of bands 21 of paperboard or other material having considerable tensile strength are wrapped around the pile 26 of stacked blanks and secured in a suitable manner as for example, by tapes 28 carrying suitable adhesive. If desired, the stacked blanks may be entirely enveloped in a wrapper (not shown), such as heavy paper, before being bound.

Where an especially rigid package is desired, the pile 26 of stacked blanks may be secured by bands 21 and rigid stiffening members 30, such as planks or cleats are disposed above and below the stacked blanks and secured thereto as by suitable bindings 3|. The bindings 3| may be passed around the blanks and cleats 30 adjacent the portions surrounded by the bands 21 and thus abrasion of the blanks is prevented. The entire package 32 thus formed may be enclosed in a suitable Wrapper (not shown) if desired, or the wrapper may surround merely the stacked blanks, the cleats 3!] being disposed outside the wrapper. If desired, a wrapper (not shown) may surround the stacked blanks and a second wrapper (not shown) may surround the entire package 32.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple and efficient guard or fringe for use with fruit or vegetable baskets, which serves both to protect the contents against injury and to impart an attractive appearance to the package. The guard or fringe is formed so that it is suitable for immediate use and it is not necessary to carry out any bending or folding operations either manually or by means of the packing apparatus, thus resulting in the saving of time in assembling the fruit package or permitting the package to be formed with relatively simple packing apparatus.

The guard or fringe formed in accordance with the invention can be readily assembled with similar guards to form a package for the bandling and shipment of a number of guards. The package formed from such guards is easy to assemble, is compact and sturdy and fully protects the guards against damage while being handled or shipped.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A package including a first stack of fruit or vegetable guards or fringes, ea'ch guard having a body and a flange extending at an angle therefrom, a second and similar stack of guards disposed on' said first stack in inverted position, the flanges of each stack extending along a side of the other stack respectively, and means securing said stacks together in superposed position.

2. A package comprising a first stack of fruit or vegetable guards or fringes, each guard having a body and a flange extending at an angle therefrom, a second and similar stack of guards disposed on said first stack in inverted position, the flanges of each stack extending along a side of the other stack respectively, and means including a plurality of spaced bands surrounding said stacks for securing them together in superposed relation to form a package.

3. A package including a first stack of fruit or vegetable guards or fringes, each guard having a body and a flange extending at an angle therefrom, a second and similar stack of guards disposed on said first stack in inverted position to form a pile, the flanges of each stack extending along a side of the other stack respectively, stiffening members extending along the top and bottom of said pile, and binder means securing said stacks and stiffening members together to form a unitary package.

4. A package including a plurality of fruit guards orfringes, each including an elongated body portion and a plurality of tabs extending from a longitudinal edge of said body portion, said guards being arranged with their body portions superposed to form a stack and their tabs nested and a similar stack inverted and disposed on said first stack, the nested tabs of each stack being turned over against the adjacent side of I the other stack, and means securing said guards together.

RAYMOND CLIFFORD SCOTT. 

